Atos 2
Dwight Pentecost · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 2
Pentecost - The "when" is the day of Pentecost known by several other names -- The Festival of the Harvest of the First Fruits (Ex 23:16) and "the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest" (Ex 34:22) which is celebrated by modern Jews as Shabuoth/Shavuot (or Shavual). The Day of Pentecost was an annual Jewish feast that was held in Jerusalem and was likely the best attended of the three required feasts (Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles - Dt 16:16, 2 Chr 8:13b), because the weather conditions were the most amenable to travel. Pentecost is also called the Day of First-fruits (Nu 28:26) (NOTE: NOT FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS WHICH WAS THE THIRD SPRING FEAST IN THE CHART BELOW) because on that day the first loaves made from the wheat harvest were offered to the Lord. It was to be a joyful time in recognition of Yahweh's provision for that year's harvest. In this sense, Pentecost is similar to our holiday in America called Thanksgiving. Note that if Pentecost was fifty days later (seven weeks plus one day) then Pentecost also took place on the first day of the week. "Christians assemble and worship on Sunday, the first day of the week, because on that day our Lord arose from the dead, but it was also the day on which the Holy Spirit was given to the church." (Wiersbe Bible Exposition Commentary )
Atos 2
Pentecost - Lev 23:15-21-note What is the Feast of Weeks? What are the different Jewish festivals in the Bible? Had come is translated "fully come" in the KJV and could be translated fulfilled. The verb sumpleroo is present tense, passive voice so it could be paraphrased "when the day of Pentecost was being fulfilled, they were all together in one place." Curtis Vaughn on had come ("being fulfilled") - Some think the allusion is to the fact that the day, according to Jewish reckoning, had begun at the previous sunset, and thus in the early morning could not be said to be either fulfilled or past but could only be described as in the process of “being fulfilled” (cf. Knowling). Others (e.g., Hackett) suppose that the expression refers to the completing of the interval of time between Passover and Pentecost. Still others see in the words a reference to the arrival of God’s appointed time for the advent of the Spirit (cf. Lenski). (Acts)
Atos 2
Pentecost — that happened there — fulfilled everything in Joel’s prophecy. (This is That)
Atos 2
Pentecost reminds us of people’s confusion about spiritual things today. Spirituality is popular. But the world offers a confusing mix of ideas, and interest in spirituality doesn’t necessarily mean people are turning to Christ and the truth of Scripture for answers. Are there people in your world who are searching for spiritual reality? Ask God to help you be a good listener, and be ready to offer a word for Him. Acts 2:1-13 John 3:5-8 The wind blows wherever it pleases . . . So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. - John 3:8 TODAY IN THE WORD Nineteenth-century Methodist leader Samuel Chadwick once commented about the Holy Spirit that “the Spirit is more than the minister of consolation. He is Christ without the limitations of the flesh and the material world.” What did Chadwick mean? Unlike our incarnate Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit is not limited by a body to one place and time. Free as the wind, He comes and goes as He wills. This helps explain why Jesus said to His disciples that it is better if He goes and the Holy Spirit comes (John 16:7). No phenomenon better captures the freedom of the Holy Spirit than the rushing wind of Pentecost. The Spirit came upon the assembled believers with the sound of a mighty wind. As they were praying, He suddenly blew in. Jesus says that people born of the Spirit are the same way (John 3:8). Spirit-people, like the Holy Spirit, are not programmatic or predictable. Rather than following rules, they follow a still small voice, the Spirit. Such a man was Paul, whose missionary travels unfolded not as a pre-set plan but under the guidance of the Spirit. (He had to explain this to the Corinthians who, on one occasion, understood his sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading as a breach of promise. See 2 Cor. 1:17.) The actions of those walking in the Spirit can seem as mysterious as the motion of the wind, especially to those who are not in God’s kingdom. The Spirit is also like wind, says Bible commentator John Gill, because His workings are secret and invisible. In the depths of the heart the Spirit speaks and breathes. In Greek, the word for wind is the same as the word for breath. God, in the indwelling of His Spirit in us, is as close to us as the very breath we draw. God breathed into Adam and he became a living soul; Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (Gen. 2; John 20:22). APPLY THE WORD This month heralds both Christmas and winter winds. But while the winter wind is blowing, so is the wind of the Spirit. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts 2:4 TODAY IN THE WORD These days, English is the language of the entire world. In business, education, diplomacy, entertainment, and the media, it reigns supreme. One might find a Singaporean corporation negotiating with a Vietnamese supplier in English. Or a Brazilian businessman on a plane, reading a newspaper and watching a movie in English. Or German tourists in China, ordering from restaurant menus translated into English. Literally billions of people around the globe speak, or are learning to speak, English. The ability to use language is empowering, as the events of Pentecost attest. We know this day as the “birthday of the church,” and the doctrine of the church is our topic this month. Jesus had told His disciples to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who would inaugurate an age of witness (1:8). They obeyed, and fifty days after the Passover Sabbath they were gathered together, probably still trying to make sense of all that had happened. Suddenly the Spirit came upon them, manifested as a strong wind (cf. John 3:5-8) and as “tongues of fire.” His power was also shown by their immediate ability to “speak in other tongues,” that is, foreign languages (vv. 2-4). The miracle was appropriate to the context, for Jews from throughout the known world were still in Jerusalem for the festival (vv. 5, 9-11). Furthermore, the miracle was not just a display of power but had meaningful content, for the incredulous listeners heard the gospel preached in their native languages (vv. 6-8). Most everyone would have understood Greek or Aramaic, but God chose to proclaim the good news in the “heart languages” of everyone present. This removal of the language barrier is the counterpart to what happened at the Tower of Babel (see Gen. 11:1-9). Then God multiplied languages to undercut human pride; here, He used the multiplicity of languages to bring glory to Himself. Such multilingualism will one day be part of believers' praise in heaven (Rev. 5:9)! TODAY ALONG THE WAY To honor the spirit of Pentecost, consider getting more involved in your church. Specifically, you could volunteer in a ministry that reaches out to international students or immigrant English language learners that may be in your community. It's a way to serve people by helping them get a key that opens doors to education and employment, and such a ministry includes loving our neighbor, hospitality, divers ity, and mutual service—all beautiful aspects of the body of Christ! All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts 2:4 TODAY IN THE WORD When you’re reading a novel, there’s a moment when it all comes together, when it all makes sense and you understand where all this is going. “Aha! So that’s what’s motivating him.” “Aha! So that’s the secret she was hiding.” “Aha! So that’s what the author is driving at.” No matter what kind of novel you’re reading, these “Aha!” moments of crystallization are one of the joys of imaginative literature. The disciples probably had the same feeling in today’s reading. When the Holy Spirit descended, the gospel of Christ and the flow of biblical history became clear to them. “Aha!” Before His Resurrection and Ascension, Jesus had promised the disciples that when He left He would send “another Counselor to be with you forever–the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17). His presence would distinguish His followers from and empower them against an uncomprehending world. His daily filling would make it possible for us to live by faith, to pursue righteousness, and to show God’s love (Gal. 5:22-23). On the day of Pentecost, the Jewish Feast of Weeks, about 120 believers were gathered in one place when the Holy Spirit descended. The fire and wind demonstrated His glory and power. The believers began to speak in tongues, proclaiming the gospel in many foreign languages. We have compelling evidence for this, since an initially skeptical international audience heard virtually every language of the known world (Acts 2:5). The listeners were amazed and confused, coming up with the lame guess that the believers must be drunk. F B